


a stolen kiss (the kind that is ages overdue)

by Mistropolis



Category: Cytus (Video Game), Cytus II (Video Game)
Genre: Don’t copy to another site, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, No Spoilers, Surprise Kissing, Teasing, tho there is some spoilers in the beginning author note
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 10:39:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17507030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistropolis/pseuds/Mistropolis
Summary: Sometimes, there's a price to pay for teasing a loved one too much.Joe learns it the hard (sweet) way.





	a stolen kiss (the kind that is ages overdue)

**Author's Note:**

> me, while playing cytus ii: idk dude i don't rly care too much for shipping
> 
> cytus ii: joe and xenon know each other for nearly ten years  
> cytus ii: joe canonically "harasses" his way into xenon's friendship bc he's the only one who can match xenon in his playing speed  
> cytus ii: they were literally such good buds that joe just drags xenon into crystal punk  
> cytus ii: even tho joe was guilty of all the underground dealings xenon still said he'd take his side and asks joe to "leave it to him"  
> cytus ii: joe trusts xenon w/ what he knows and believes him to make the right choices
> 
> me: ...  
> me: ...  
> me: ... shit

“So, what exactly is she like?”

Xenon takes another prolonged sip of his milk, but no matter how many more seconds he has stalled for in between that, he can’t dredge up any excuse to divert the topic. “Just why do you care so much? Gonna post all the gossip on iM or something?”

“Geez, Simon, we’ve been friends for like, how long? Need I remind you?” Joe taps onto the table twice, an ever-widening and wicked grin on his face. “Ten years. We’ve known each other for nearly a whole decade, dude, so would telling something to your best, best friend matter that badly to you?”

“I wouldn’t have objected to that, if you would just stop making all this pointless conjecture about my relationship with her.”

“Ha! Pulling out all the big words, huh?” Joe winks, and Xenon could feel his fingers itching to just spill his cup of milk in hopes of wiping that look off of his face. “Look, of course I’m not assuming anything out of the blue, but you do know that you’ve known her for quite some time already just as well, so can you accuse me of being nosy? Surely there must be something going on with you two.”

“No fucking anything is going on. I told you again and again that Neko and I are only friends, and I only see her as a younger sister.”

“You did say that before, but that is _before_! Not now, not currently in the year 702!” Joe smashes his mixing cup onto the table, his face getting dangerously close to Xenon’s, and it takes an embarrassing lot out of him to not flinch away. “So. How have the two of you been doing?”

“We’ve been streaming together sometime when Neko feels like embarrassing herself on live.”

“Oh! Speaking of that! Are you ever going to return my Fonder or something?”

“It’s not like you need— Anyway, that’s it. It’s just all like usual. I’m teaching her bass, we stream together sometime, she still goes to my studio sometime to discuss collabo—”

Joe claps dramatically at that. “There, there! That’s exactly what I like to hear! Can you really say nothing is going on when you still let her go to your studio? When you literally magically never get mad at her for toying with your equipment?”

Xenon feels the noises and colors around the Cafe lapping him up, a coil of tension sitting at the bottom of his stomach, ready to be released. “If I saw you as my family member I would also do th—”

“Oh no, you don’t! You just made that excuse on the fly so I’ll stop, isn’t it?” Joe completely forgoes his mixing cup, leading Xenon to questions on how the hell he’s still not closing the shop when he’s obviously far more invested in petty questions and banter than taking orders. “C’mon, when’s the happy announcement?”

The cord of tension snaps and Xenon’s already-slippery mastery at his words fail him one more time.

_Sometimes not having planned beats the most meticulous planning, right?_

Xenon props up a smile, one that is as sarcastic as possible. “Since you want to know just so much, why don’t you come closer so I could whisper that to you?”

Joe’s simper isn’t any less sarcastic. “Oh? Why should I do that? Are you planning something?”

“What could I possibly be planning? Just come closer.”

“Right, and you bet anything you better do tell me because otherwise, I’m mixing Stairway to Heaven and pouring it right down your waterho—”

Xenon closes his eyes, feels himself soften and lets his lips fall into the notches of Joe’s.

For a split-second, Xenon could catch a faint whiff of panic, both on himself and on Joe, and he was tempted to stumble back and say sorry, except he could hear a quiet happy sound coming off then, and he feels himself smiling into the kiss too.

He pulls back ultimately, and at the sight of Joe’s cheeks all flushed and heated he couldn’t help but feel a beam of his own blossoming.

Joe scrambles to cover his cheeks sloppily with one arm. “Dude. Simon? What, was, that?”

“What was that? Oh, nothing really, it’s just me being open and honest with you about my current romantic life.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about. I was asking you about Neko.”

“Yes, yes you are. But you ignore a crucial fact.” He leans in close again, making sure that only Joe could possibly hear him next. “How could I have dated anyone else, when I already have someone as perfect as you?”

Joe is looking elsewhere, but there’s no denying the happiness bubbling up in his eyes. “Guess I can’t complain, since I’m the one doing all the teasing. Though I gotta say… I didn’t expect you to ever be the one to kiss first.”

“I wasn’t thinking of doing that, except you won’t stop your stupid talk.” Xenon traces a finger along Joe’s right arm, and a deep shade of scarlet implodes on his cheeks again. “I mean, teasing people is one thing, but teasing your own boyfriend of probably liking some other people—”

“Okay, okay, so I have it coming indeed,” Joe scratches his seaweed-like mess of a ponytail and laughs. Eventually, with his smile turning tamer and taking on a sheepish tone, he whispers, as if afraid of letting the world hear. “You know, it's just… Everyone else is so much better than me for you. Even now, I can't believe I'm dating _you_ when you are so perfect and kind and much better than I could ever hope to—”

“Joe, we’ve talked about this before.” Xenon reaches across the bar table and takes Joe’s hands into his gloved ones, feeling along the ridges of their hardened calluses and squeezing them lovingly. “I chose you. No matter how many times I have to choose, again and again, I will only choose you.”

Joe presses a gentle kiss on the backs of Xenon’s hands. “And I will only choose you, too.” He caresses the leather fabric of the gloves. “I've seen you with your mask off often enough, but when are you ever going to take off those gloves?”

“Next time, come to my studio and we will see.”

“Jeez, I was hoping that would happen in my house instead. I bet you will look cute grasping at my sheets.”

Xenon choke-coughs on his milk. Then he retaliates with a punch onto Joe’s left shoulder. “For the last fucking time, I'm not making your perpetually messy bed.”

“Hmmph! We will see for sure!”

**Author's Note:**

> yes this entire fic is xenojoe propaganda, pls join me in this rarepair hell ☆:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:☆


End file.
